[Colorado Springs, Colo. – November 1, 2013] The Clerk and Recorder’s Office is pleased to announce that the emergency removal of the concrete slabs near the west entrance of Centennial Hall has concluded and the 24-hour ballot drop-off box will reopen today at 5:00 PM. The replacement 24-hour ballot drop-off box at the Colorado Springs Police Operations Center opened earlier also will remain available to voters in the downtown area.

“I would like to thank GE Construction and El Paso County Administration for their hard work that allowed the Centennial Hall ballot drop-off box to be re-opened quickly,” stated Clerk and Recorder Wayne Williams. “I would especially like to thank the Colorado Springs Police Department for their flexibility in offering us a replacement location with such short notice. Their commitment to serving our community is an asset to voters in El Paso County.”

The Centennial Hall 24-hour ballot drop-off box was closed after an inspection revealed a significant risk with the large concrete slabs over the box and lower entrance. The inspection was undertaken after one of the 2,000 pound slabs fell last week.

——- UPDATE, THURSDAY, 3:28 P.M. ——-
When the El Paso County Clerk and Recorder's Office closed Centennial Hall as a drop -off location for ballots, some cried foul, noting the building is located in a more liberal-leaning area.

But the Clerk's Office said falling concrete led to the closure at Centennial Hall, which is being renovated. Today the Clerk's office announced a new location has replaced Centennial Hall as a drop-off point. The Police Operations Center is one of 14 locations where voters can drop off their ballots. Read on for more information:

New Ballot 24-Hour Drop-Off Location Announced to Replace
Centennial Hall Box Closed Due to Construction

[Colorado Springs, Colo. - October 31, 2013] The El Paso County Clerk and Recorder's Office opened a new 24-hour ballot drop-off location at the Colorado Springs Police Operations Center at 705 S. Nevada Avenue in Colorado Springs. Clerk and Recorder Wayne Williams added the new 24-hour ballot drop-off location to replace the drop-off box that was closed at Centennial Hall due to imminent safety issues. Access is still possible through other entrances to the ballot drop-off box and voting site in the lower level of Centennial Hall.

"We opened the first 24-hour drop-off at our main office in 2012. To further improve customer service, we constructed four additional sites this year, including at Centennial Hall. When the safety of our voters caused the closure of that box, we sought other alternatives," noted El Paso County Clerk and Recorder Wayne Williams. "We'd like to thank the Colorado Springs Police Department and Chief Pete Carey for their quick response and willingness to make it even easier for our citizens to cast their ballots." When asked for his assistance, Chief Carey stated that he respected the democratic process and was happy to make the Police Operations Center available for easy access for our citizens. This is a positive way to highlight the partnership CSPD enjoys with El Paso County.

The Police Operation Center 24-hour ballot drop-off location will be available starting at 4:00 PM today through 7:00 PM on Election Day, November 5.

The Centennial Hall 24-hour box was closed after inspection revealed a significant risk with the large concrete slabs over the 24-Hour ballot box and lower entrance to Centennial Hall. The inspection was undertaken after a 2,000 pound concrete slab fell last week. The Clerk and Recorder's Office is working with County Administration to re-open the Centennial Hall 24-hour ballot drop-off box-along with the west facing entrance to the Motor Vehicle Department- as quickly as possible.

While there is no requirement for 24-hour drop off boxes, the Clerk's Office added these as part of an ongoing effort to provide citizen-focused customer service. The replacement site gives voters in El Paso County an unprecedented five 24-hour ballot drop-off locations:

There are a total of 14 locations at which ballots may be dropped off, seven of which are full-service Voting Service and Polling Centers. The nine additional locations and hours of operation can be found at http://car.elpasoco.com. (Please note that the original location in Cascade has been changed to Marcroft Hall, Chipita Park Chamber of Commerce, 9105 Chipita Park Rd, Chipita Park, Colorado 80809 due to the unavailability of the originally scheduled school.